Ashley Johnson (12) is the Editor-in-chief of the Inklings staff. This is her first year as Editor-in-chief, but she has been in Inklings for 2 years and worked as a lead writer for 3 years.
“Being an Editor-in-chief takes a lot of dedication to Inklings despite my other responsibilities. I have to balance getting all of my work done as well as checking in with everyone else, and I have a lot more responsibilities in general than I did when I was just a lead writer,” Johnson said. “I had to do a mix of everything rather than just having one specific focus, like designing, writing, interviewing, editing, and working with my fellow editors and advisors to make the paper look as good as possible.”
Johnson dedicated her time to making sure that all staffers were on the same page and united as one strong staff. Johnson also put effort into forming a bond with her adviser.
“My favorite part about being Editor-in-Chief is that I like being able to lead and direct my fellow staffers, as well as work closely with Mrs. Bianchi,” Johnson said. “I’m able to gain a lot of leadership experience; it’s almost like a job or an internship but I’m at school. I love writing and editing, so having more responsibilities is even more fulfilling for me.”
Along with the rest of the staff, Johnson made sure that there were snacks and fun activities throughout the week to keep everyone engaged. They all worked together to keep each other motivated and engaged.
“I try to push everyone towards their goals by checking in on how people are doing with their articles. We also try to have fun in class to keep our spirits high, by having snacks or chatting throughout class to stay content,” Johnson said. “We all work together to come up with ideas for different spreads, which makes us a stronger staff and keeps us focused on our tasks. When giving people constructive criticism, I try to deliver it in a way that keeps them focused on the positive and helps them remember that they are extremely capable and skilled.”
Johnson takes on all her responsibilities as well as working as a team leader and makes sure everyone is included.
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